


Take Me Home

by winterwaters



Series: Serenade [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-01-26 16:46:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1695383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Falling Slowly. Modern AU about Arya & Gendry and their family/friends at college.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I promised this a long time ago, but life got in the way, as it usually does. But it's here now! I'll do my best to post frequently (or at least timely) and try to keep this on track :) I really hope you enjoy it!

A shrill ringtone invaded the silent, dark cocoon of his room, interrupting the calm of morning. Gendry shifted with a groan. Rather than moving to find the source, he burrowed further into his blankets against Arya’s soft body, hoping the caller would simply get the message and shut up. Her long hair invaded his senses, the familiar scent of jasmine already lulling him back to sleep. The ringing finally stopped, leaving them cloaked in blissful quiet.

Then the phone went off again, and he let out a low curse. Arya grumbled in her sleep, shifting against him and creating utterly distracting sensations throughout his body.

“Go answer that,” she mumbled into the pillow.

“You answer it,” he retorted sleepily.

“No.” 

Even in his groggy state, her sleepy annoyance made him smile. He curled his large frame around hers more tightly. The ringing cut off again, and they both relaxed in the following silence.

Less than a minute later, a new sound blared - this time to the distinct tone of a song Gendry knew quite well. As he raised his head blearily to stare at his nightstand in frustration, he felt the mattress shift next to him. 

“What the hell is going on?”

Arya had finally turned onto her back, her grey pupils landing on him accusingly.

“Don’t look at me. That’s _your_ phone,” he told her, and she looked past him in surprise. Then a separate ringing filled the air as his own phone lit up, and Gendry groaned, clutching his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Reaching a long arm out to grasp both their phones, he sat up and glared at the lit-up screens. “Your siblings are insane,” he informed Arya, and her brows drew together in confusion.

He snapped his phone open. “Yes, can I help you?”

Sansa’s concerned voice broke through his irritation, her words hitting him too fast to process. He interrupted her profuse apology to hand the phone to Arya. Still drowsy and puzzled, she took the phone cautiously.

Whatever her sister said had her sitting up abruptly, her sleepy expression vanishing. “Are you sure? When? Is he-” She listened for a few more moments before nodding. “Alright. Yeah, we should. Thanks.”

Clicking off the phone, Arya stared silently at the screen long after it went dark. Gendry didn’t rush her, only putting an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close. They sat quietly for a while, the only light in the room coming from the bright green letters of his alarm clock. Finally, Arya set the phone on the blanket and her arms snuck around his waist for a hug.

“It’s my brother,” she said quietly.

“Bran? Is he-?”

“Not Bran,” she quickly amended. “My other brother.”

“The one who hates me?”

He practically felt the roll of her eyes, but she shook her head against his chest. “Still another. Rickon.”

Of course. Rickon. The brother that seemed to practically court trouble, not that Gendry really knew why. He hadn’t pushed for details, and no one had volunteered. The boy remained a mystery; he hadn’t even seen a picture, aside from an old family photo. Gendry wasn’t sure he would know him if he bumped right into him on the street.

“What about him?” He asked tentatively.

“He’s not doing very well. He hasn’t been for some time.”

At this, Gendry drew back, reaching over to turn on his small lamp. Arya was biting her lip, as he’d predicted, and her face was clouded with worry.

“Is he ill?”

“No! No, nothing like that.” She sighed. “We all handled dad’s… situation differently. Robb got more involved in politics, Jon and Sansa focused on their studies, and I practically ran away. Rickon…,” she hesitated. “Rickon got bullied a lot at school. One day, he decided to fight back. And ever since, mum gets a call at least once a month about another broken nose or dislocated shoulder… sometimes it’s his, sometimes it’s someone else’s.”

Arya looked down, fiddling with a thread on her shirt. “It was really only a matter of time. The school board wasn’t going to put up with that forever. I can’t even believe it went on this long.” She shrugged, finally looking up at him. “They sent the letter last week to make it official. He’s out.” 

Gendry stroked her hair gently, ready to ask another question. But Arya wasn’t done. “That’s not why Sansa called, though.” She drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them close. “Rickon snuck out last night and took mum’s car. Cops found it a few miles away, smashed into a tree.”

Gendry sucked in a breath. “Is he-”

“He’s fine. Bruised up a bit, I’m sure, but otherwise fine.” Arya rested her head on her arms. “It was the last straw for mum, though. She’s sending him to boarding school, at Bryton Academy.” 

“As in, the Bryton that's less than a half hour away?” 

She looked up in surprise. “Yeah. You know it?” 

“Unfortunately.” He didn’t feel like elaborating at the moment. “Later,” was all he said. “So Rickon’s going to be close, then? Will he live with you guys?”

“I guess so.” Arya huffed out a breath. “I hope mum doesn’t think it’s going to be some magical cure. I’m not sure it won’t make things worse, honestly.” 

It was hard to argue with that, but Gendry wanted to put her at ease. “At least he’ll be near you and Sansa and Jon. And maybe a new location is just what he needs. A fresh start, you know?” 

“I hope so.” She still looked worried.

“Hey.” He bumped her shoulder lightly. “It worked out for you, didn’t it?”

Arya gave him a small smile and kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder, letting him pull her back down on the mattress.

“It looks like summer’s almost done,” she mumbled.

It did appear that way, but he wasn’t ready to let go so quickly.

“We still have a few weeks.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “A lot can happen in a couple of weeks,” he added softly, his mind wandering back to the previous year.

When Arya shifted to look at him, he found she was finally smiling, as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking.


	2. Chapter 2

Arya woke up before the alarm. Sleep had been fitful and restless when it finally arrived after Sansa’s phone call. She was surprised she’d even slept, with all thoughts that whirled in her mind. Eventually she’d pushed everything into a far corner of her brain and let Gendry’s low snores carry her to sleep. Now, as the barest rays of light creeped through his curtain, she still wasn’t ready to give in to the day and all the inevitable problems that would come with it. So she snuggled further against Gendry’s back, pressing her face between his shoulder blades and wedging one of her legs between both of his. 

Though she could still barely admit it to herself, this was one of her favorite times of day. Rarely did she wake up before Gendry, but when she did, she valued the few extra moments to burrow back into his body and follow the steady rise and fall of his breathing, lulling herself into some in-between state between sleep and wakefulness. 

It was in this groggy state that she always registered some new factoid, yet another item that would be added to the list of things she already associated with him. Like the way he occasionally wrinkled his nose in his sleep, or how tightly he held onto her hand, or how his feet were somehow always cold as ice, or the complete stillness of his body as he slept - as if the world could wait. 

It was even more remarkable to Arya just how aware he was of her presence beside him. A slight brush of her hand or a twist of her body was nearly always followed by a similar movement from him. She smiled at the thought of the first time she’d slept next to him, so unused to having somebody next to her that she woke with a start anytime he moved. She had squeaked loudly and whacked him the first time he reached out to pull her close. But being Gendry (and therefore used to her tiny fists), he’d only chuckled sleepily and kept his arm around her, tracing comforting patterns on her skin until she finally drifted off to sleep.

Now they had developed an easy push and pull, something that felt so natural to her that she wondered what she had done without it before. 

She started as Gendry’s alarm blared loudly, pulling her out of her drowsy thoughts. He reached out a long arm to snooze, collapsing back into sleep almost instantly. Arya covered her giggle. She’d never pegged Gendry as one who would snooze as often as he did.

But then, it had its advantages.

Pressing closer, she snuck her hand under his shirt, slowly tracing the firm muscles of his abdomen. Her fingers tiptoed along the taught line of his hips until they hit the waistband of his sweats, lingering and teasing. Then she slipped her hand underneath, grasping his hard cock. Feeling him push into her hands instantly, she grinned. It still pleased her that he reacted so strongly, to know that she could make him lose control much as he did to her. Momentarily distracted by her thoughts, she caught the change in his breathing, the tightening of his body, too late.

Seconds later, Arya was flat on her back as Gendry hovered over her, his blue eyes dark. 

“Well good morning to you, too.” Though his voice was rough with sleep, Arya could still hear the tenderness underneath.

Her toes curled and she stretched languidly. “Morning.” She grinned. “Sleep well?”

He hummed. “Aside from the phone calls, yes.” 

“I know. Sorry about that.”

Gendry kissed her. “It’s okay.”

Rubbing her legs against his, Arya grinned smugly when he closed his eyes momentarily. “I can make it up to you, though.”

Gendry laughed and brought his face close to hers. Inches from her mouth, he whispered, “I love waking up to you.”

Her breath hitched at the raw honesty in his voice. He always did that, unexpectedly saying something sweet as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if it was just another thing to tell her about his day. 

Arya wrapped her arms around him. “Me too,” she admitted. And though her face was probably red as a tomato, Gendry said nothing, simply molding his lips to hers in response.


	3. Chapter 3

Gendry was stretched out by the willow when he saw her in the distance, her bag at her hip and braid tossed over one shoulder. Even the sight of her made his heart speed up. He shook his head, laughing internally at his lovestruck thought. She had such a hold over him - and he didn’t mind one bit. 

Setting aside his laptop, he pulled himself up into a sitting position as Arya plopped down in front of him. She was holding a plastic bag in her hand, from which a delicious aroma was steadily making its way towards him.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

Reaching into her the bag, she pulled out two cartons, handing one to him. He could practically smell the greasy food from within, and he grinned. 

“I really love you.” 

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Just eat.” 

He chuckled and opened the styrofoam carton, his mouth watering at the burger and fries that awaited. Arya was already digging into hers with gusto, and for a while they were silent.

Then she said, “So how do you know about Bryton?”

Gendry knew the question had been coming, but stalled anyways. “Oh, so that’s why you brought me food? Just buttering me up so you can take advantage of me?”

“If I was taking advantage of you, you would know,” Arya grinned wickedly, briefly making him wonder just how secluded the willow might be. As if she could read his thoughts, she threw a fry at him. “Stop trying to distract me. How do you know Bryton Academy?”

He groaned, not thrilled at what he was about to say. “I went there for the last two years of high school.” 

She let out an incredulous laugh. When he didn’t reply, she set her food aside. “You’re kidding.” 

He shook his head morosely. “I wish I was. Calla insisted I apply there midway through my second year, and then somehow I passed the entrance exam and got an interview with the professors, and before I knew it, the dean was telling me I was in. Calla wouldn’t stop crowing about it for days.” Gendry grinned at the memory. “Everywhere we went, it was like, ‘Do you know my son will be going to Bryton in the fall? Have you met my son? He’s a Bryton boy now.” 

Arya was grinning, too. “That sounds like Calla. I wonder why she never mentioned it in front of me.”

“I may have asked her not to,” he replied sheepishly.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “It has a reputation, you know?”

Arya knew. Bryton was mainly known for the spoiled rich kids who attended, given free reign and money from their parents. Professors had control during class time, but it still wasn’t enough. All sorts of stories emerged from that school. Most were laughed off or paid off, but that didn’t make them any less true. 

“Anyways, at the time we were still getting to know each other,” Gendry continued. “I didn’t feel like throwing in that fact just yet, at least not until you knew me.” 

“I would have believed you anyways,” Arya said, and he smiled.

“I know that now.”

“So how did you make it through two whole years with those people?”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t too hard, with all the work I had. Classes were already piling on the assignments, and I was just starting to work with Tobho at the time. So I wasn’t usually there for very long, other than to go to class.”

Nodding thoughtfully, she tugged at a blade of grass. “Do you think Rickon will have more trouble there than at home?”

Gendry sighed. He’d been wondering the same thing. “It depends, really. I know it’s hard to escape, but maybe he can just get lost in it, you know? People there already have their groups. If you’re not around enough to get caught up in their crap you can get by. He needs to keep his head down, get his work done, and get out.”

Arya chewed her lip. “I really hope that works.”

He leaned forward, seeing the concern plain on her face.“And I can always give him some tips, you know,” he added. “Which professor to avoid, what hall to find a locker in, how to schedule classes and all that. Especially if he decides he wants to do something outside of school.” 

“Yeah. I’m sure we can find ways to keep him busy. Thanks, Gendry.” She looked slightly less worried, and that was a start.

He held his arms out. “C’mere.” 

She smiled and immediately crawled over to him, curling up against his side. Ducking his head, he kissed her softly. He’d meant for it to be quick, but her tongue snuck past his lips and her arms came up around his shoulders, holding him close. A hand curled into the hair at the nape of his neck as their kiss lingered, igniting his blood.

When they finally parted for breath, he grinned. “ _Now_ you’re definitely taking advantage of me.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Are you objecting?”

“Absolutely not.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm really excited for this haha! The description in this chapter was inspired by the movie From Up On Poppy Hill. I totally recommend it if you haven't seen it :)

Gendry exited the building after his tech writing class, pulling his headphones out of his backpack. As soon as they covered his ears, everything was blocked out except the music. He strolled along the quad, peacefully lost in the rhythm of the synth and beats until a hand landed on his shoulder, startling him.

“Dude,” Jon was breathing hard. “I’ve been calling your name for the past two blocks!”

Gendry shifted the headphones so they curled around his neck and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I was kind of in my own world.”

“Obviously.” His friend grinned. “Want to go The Hollow for a while?”

Gendry didn’t even have to reply. The answer was always yes. They crossed the street, chatting about the day as they made their way over. 

The Hollow was a recent discovery, an older building on the edge of campus that Arya had stumbled upon during one of her adventures in the summer. She’d had a long break between classes and had set out to explore, as Arya often did. 

Now, as Gendry and Jon settled into what had become “their spot” by the old fireplace that didn’t work, his mind wandered back to the first time Arya had dragged him straight from the garage to this building. He had to admit, even he had been skeptical at first, but the moment he stepped inside that had changed.

The building was nothing special from the outside. Mostly covered in layers of dust and grime and partly exposed brick, there was nothing to indicate it was even inhabited. But Arya took the steps quickly, ushering him in front of her. The huge door opened with a seemingly neverending groan, as Gendry would come to learn it always did. Stepping inside, he looked around in open wonder.

The main floor was an open foyer, decorated with a few large, brightly colored carpets and the occasional armchair. Stairs lead to the second floor, then leveled out into a landing, and then continued to the third and fourth floors in a similar fashion. A large, simple chandelier hung from the ceiling, dropping to the level of the second landing. It was covered in cobwebs, but the small bulbs gave off a bright glow regardless.

Then there were the windows. Large windows spanned the verticle length of the wall on the third and fourth floors. The last of the day’s sunlight streamed through each glass pane, the rays breaking apart and bouncing off everything in their path. 

Gendry only became aware that his jaw had dropped when Arya reached up and closed his mouth. But she was beaming.

Several students had looked up when they walked in, but aside from a cursory glance, they’d returned to their own tasks. It was nice, Gendry thought, to not have eyes following him everywhere. He moved forward into the building, his head swiveling about. There was an odd assortment of students. Some were huddling together in groups, locked in heated debate. Gendry heard snatches of conversation about physics and Newton’s laws and other things that were far past his knowledge. Others were studying quietly on their own, while others were curled up just taking a nap next to their books. 

“Arya!” 

They both turned at the call. Gendry squinted and put a hand over his eyes as he looked up at the second floor, a smile tugging at his face when he saw bright red hair. Ygritte waved and then put out her hands in a _stay there_ motion before disappearing back into one of the rooms. Gendry heard the unmistakable sounds of her giving orders before she reappeared and bounded down the stairs, her red ponytail swinging madly behind her.

“What brings you two here?” She asked, a wide smile on her face.

“I was showing Gendry around. I sort of just found the place earlier,” Arya explained. “I can’t believe I didn’t know about this.”

"I didn't even realize people used this building," Gendry added, still somewhat in awe. "I thought it was inhabitable." 

Ygritte shrugged. “It was, until last year. A few of us started clearing away the old boxes and things until we could set up shop. It's been great for all the smaller clubs that can't request office space just yet. Not too many people know about it, but we like it that way.”

“Well, your secret’s safe with us,” Gendry promised.

Arya looked past her. “What were you doing upstairs?”

Ygritte’s face lit up. “We’re trying to start an archery club. It’s not the most common activity, but Student Affairs said if we can get enough names on the list they’ll consider funding us in the fall.”

“I’ll sign!” Arya had become more and more excited as Ygritte spoke, and now she was practically bouncing on her feet. “Let’s go!”

The other girl laughed and swung an arm around her shoulders. “Please let me be there when you tell Jon.” 

“Deal.”

They continued up the stairs and Gendry grinned, shaking his head. Spinning in a slow circle, he looked around at The Hollow, feeling a new sense of comfort. He’d settled down in a corner to wait for Arya, near an old fireplace that he hoped was out of commission. She found him there nearly an hour later, his headphones on, bent over an architecture text.

And so many summer afternoons had been spent in The Hollow, doing homework or exploring. Gendry found it housed many more student activities, most of which had been unknown to him, until now. The students were an easygoing lot, if on the eccentric side sometimes. Now and then he would hear something break, followed by cursing, or a random yell - in pain, fear, or anger, he couldn't say - followed by the sound of people running. Gendry would watch in amusement as everyone madly rushed to solve the problem, then returned to their tasks as if it had never happened. And somehow, the building remained standing, sturdy and reliable without a clue to the occasional chaos within. That made it fun, though - which was more than he could say about most other places on campus. 

Slowly, he began to notice small things that needed repairing. So he’d return in the evenings or at night, usually with Arya or Jon in tow, and spend a few minutes patching up what he could - a step here, a light there, the odd tile that had been leaking for days on the top floor and driving him mad. He wasn’t trying to get noticed; that was the last thing he wanted. But it was his small way of contributing to something that seemed bigger than him. Regardless, the three of them had become a regular sight, and along with Ygritte’s approval, they’d been quietly welcomed into the fold. Silly as it sounded, it wasn’t something he took lightly. He didn’t often feel like he belonged anywhere, but here, he found the possibility that that could change.


	5. Chapter 5

Arya lay sideways on the couch, attempting to focus on her book and failing as Gendry tickled her feet. Laughing, she kicked at him in vain only to have him grasp her legs and slide her closer so that his fingers could brush her sides. She was still breathless from laughing when the front door flew open with a bang.

They both looked up in surprise as Sansa angrily strode through, her red hair flying loose and wild behind her like a cape. Before Arya could open her mouth to ask, a shock of brown hair became visible in the doorway. Then the ends of two white crutches landed on the door mat, and after a grunt of effort, Willas swung through.

“Darling-” He began.

“Don’t!” She whirled on him. “Don’t you _even_.”

To their continuing shock, Sansa turned and stomped up the flight of stairs to her room, making it clear with each heavy step that they were done talking. Both Willas and Gendry flinched when her door slammed shut.

“Wow,” Gendry muttered.

Even Arya was irritated. “Cheap shot, Sansa!” She yelled.

“Shut _up_ , Arya!” Came her sister’s shrill retort.

Willas’ mouth had dropped open, but his expression soon settled into a grim determination. Now that, Arya was quite familiar with. As he began to move, she put aside her textbook and hopped up, walking over to him just as he set one foot on the first step.

“You’re kidding, right?” She asked. 

His angry gaze swung to hers, the need to be polite warring with his current predicament. His frustration won out. “Are you just here to provide commentary, or can you help?”

A snort escaped Gendry as he came to stand behind her. Arya stared at Willas for a moment before letting out a delighted laugh. It wasn’t often that he lost his composure, but when he did, it usually was because of her sister. Moving closer, she said, “So you do have a spine. Good. You’ll need that if you’re going after Sansa.” She threw his arm around her shoulder, and Gendry came around to his other side to do the same, laying his crutches against the wall. “Come on, then.”

Willas gave them a sheepish grin and braced his arms, one on Gendry and one on the railing just past Arya’s shoulder. He heaved himself up to the next step with a grunt. His face was red with exertion by the time they made it to the fourth step, so Arya made him stop and sit down while she retrieved a water bottle. 

As she came back, she heard the two boys murmuring in low tones.

“I wonder if I should just leave her be,” Willas was saying quietly.

Gendry didn’t hesitate. “You’ve made it this far. I say go for it.”

“Speaking from experience, are you?”

Arya bit back a grin. She could practically see Gendry’s sheepish shrug. “I’m just saying, it can’t hurt. Plus, once you’re up there, you’re not getting back down without her help. We’ll make sure of that.”

Willas chuckled ruefully before letting out a long sigh. Arya made sure to step loudly as she rounded the corner, bounding up the stairs.

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait a few minutes longer?” She asked as he gulped down water. “Jon should be here soon. He’d be more help than me.”

When Willas only raised his eyebrows, Gendry grinned. She rolled her eyes at them both. “I thought so. Let’s go.”

They resumed their journey up the stairs, pausing one more time to let Willas rest. “Maybe we should consider moving to a one-level home,” Arya commented, only partly joking. 

Willas turned red again but couldn’t help his laugh. He was leaning heavily on Gendry as they reached the final few steps. When they finally reached the top, all three of them were out of breath. As they leaned against the wall, he looked over at her. 

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“You’re welcome.” 

Gendry clapped him on the shoulder, nodding towards Sansa’s door. Arya winked at Willas before yelling, “It was nice to see you again, Willas! Make sure you don’t go back downstairs without some help, you hear?”

He grinned as she turned and hopped back down the stairs, followed closely by Gendry. She was sure to pick up her keys and jangle them loudly, opening and closing the front door with a bang before quietly leaning against the stairwell. Gendry nearly bumped into her, but was smart enough to stay silent. She put a finger to her lips at his quizzical look.

Sure enough, a minute later, she heard the sound of a door being opened on the second floor.

“You idiot,” came Sansa’s quiet declaration.

They grinned in satisfaction before sneaking out the side door. Gendry closed it gently behind them and threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Rounding the front, they ran right into Jon.

“I wouldn’t go in there,” she warned.

Jon exchanged a glance with Gendry, then eyed her cautiously. “What did you do?” Jon asked.

Arya set her hands on her hips. “ _I_ did not do anything.”

He raised a disbelieving eyebrow at Gendry, then at her. “Fine,” she huffed. “Be my guest and barge in on Sansa and Willas. It’s your life.” 

He paled slightly at that, taking a step back. Arya grinned, glad she had made her point. She took Gendry’s hand and began pulling him in the other direction. “Does anyone want food? I’m starving.”

Gendry chuckled, not resisting at all. “I guess I’m going this way. Jon, you coming?”

“Yes, please.”


	6. Chapter 6

Gendry’s first impression of Rickon was wildness. 

Though the red-haired boy quietly accepted Sansa’s hug, his blue eyes flicked past her shoulder, bouncing from wall to wall and person to person, his gaze barely resting for a moment. When his sister let go, he stood back, rocking on the balls of his feet while twisting his fingers together as she spoke. There was a frazzled, restless energy surrounding him.

It was clearly making his mother nervous. But to Gendry, it was quite familiar.

Then Arya was moving forward to wrap him in a hug, making a joke about how unfair it was that she now only reached his shoulder. A brief smile flickered across his face, and his arms closed around her small frame tightly, if briefly. As he leaned down, Gendry noticed the small white bandage peeking out from under the bright mop of hair on his forehead.

Then Arya let go and turned, holding out a hand to him. Tentatively, Gendry stepped forward, offering what he hoped was a reassuring grin to Rickon. 

“Rickon, this is Gendry. Gendry, meet my little brother Rickon,” she said.

Gendry held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” 

The younger boy gripped it firmly. “You too. I’ve heard a lot about you. From Arya,” he added hastily, as if to reassure him.

Gendry chuckled, nodding. Moments later, the door flew open and Jon entered the house, his face opening in delight when he saw his younger brother. Nodding quickly to Catelyn, he moved past her and enveloped the boy in a massive hug. With that, the awkwardness in the house seemed to ease a little, as the siblings fell into an easy rhythm of conversation. Rickon managed to get by with a handful of words while the others shared anecdotes, not forcing him to speak more than he wanted to. 

Quietly, Gendry backed away from the others and eased through the swinging door into the kitchen. Pushing open the side door, he took a seat on the steps and let out a breath.

He was only there because Arya had asked many, many times. But in his opinion, this was a private moment between her and her family. They didn’t need him making things more tense than they already were. After some arguing, he’d agreed to be there so she could introduce him to her brother. But when they all began chatting, he saw his moment to escape the hawk-like gaze of Catelyn Stark. 

So he took it.

Now, sitting on the back step, he dug his phone out of his pocket. It held three unread messages from Calla, and he grinned. Whenever Catelyn Stark was in town, he could count on Calla to be ready at a moment’s notice for backup. So instead of responding to her texts, he called her. 

She picked up on the first ring. “Time to bring out the big guns?”

“No, mother,” Gendry laughed, already feeling better. “I just wanted to say hello. Can’t I call to say hello?”

“Of course you can. But you can also tell me where I should be driving to right now.” 

“Stay put. I’m sure they need you more at the inn.”

“How are things going?” Her concern filtered through the speaker. 

“Fine, actually. Rickon just arrived. I’m just giving them all a moment.”

“And hiding from the mama wolf?” 

“Possibly.”

Calla chuckled knowingly. “Could you do me a favor, when you’re done?” 

“Of course.”

“I need a few things for the inn and for home. Would you be able to pick them up for me? I’d ask Tobho, but he hasn’t been feeling very well all day. Not that he would admit it,” she added grumpily.

Gendry smothered a laugh. He’d often spoken of Arya in the same way. A small part of his brain, though, was focused on what Calla had said about Tobho not feeling well, and how it had been not too long ago that he was “not feeling well.” He shoved those thoughts aside.

“I’ll take care of it,” he answered. Hearing the screen door behind him, he told her, “Text me the list,” and said his goodbye. 

A hand rested on his shoulder, and then Arya plopped down next to him. “Hi.”

He kissed her. “Hello.” 

“Was that Calla, ready to come to your defense?” She grinned knowingly.

“Yep. Protective as ever.” He nodded at the house. “How’s everyone doing in there?” 

“I think we’ll survive.” 

“Your mother still here?”

Arya rolled her eyes before laying her head on his shoulder. “Yeah. Sansa convinced her to stay for dinner. She’s such a good daughter,” she huffed.

Gendry laughed and pressed a kiss to her hair. “You should stay, too.” 

“I know,” she grumbled. “I’m guessing you’ll be leaving?”

“I think it’s best, don’t you? Besides,” he cut off her reply, “Calla asked me to pick up some things for her.”

At Arya’s disbelieving look, he grinned. “I know it’s awfully convenient, but it’s also true.” Right on time, his phone chirped, and he held it up for her to see.

“Wow. That’s quite a list.” 

“Yeah. Tobho’s not feeling well, so she asked me.”

“Again? What is that, the fourth time since May?” 

Gendry shrugged, though he was suddenly worried himself. “Beats me. I can’t even tell half the time unless Calla says something.” 

Arya studied him carefully, and not for the first time he wondered at how her grey eyes pierced him so deeply. Then she said, “Tobho’s sturdy as a mountain. It’ll take more than a little bad weather to bring him down.” 

She grinned up at him. It was remarkable, Gendry thought, that someone could know him so well that just a few words could ease the tightness in his chest. He cupped her face and kissed her long and hard. It was exactly what he’d needed to hear, to silence the small voice in his brain that couldn’t seem to stop worrying. 

Minutes later, Arya was called back inside. Letting out something akin to a growl, she glared at the door in frustration as Gendry laughed. Then he stood, pulling her with him, and hugged her tightly. Her arms wrapped around him, squeezing back.

“See you tonight?” He whispered.

“See you tonight.” She leaned up to kiss him one more time before hopping up the steps back into the house, closing the door with a wink.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry updates have been slow to come lately. I'm currently in the midst of packing/moving but am hoping to have more time to write once this move is over! Hope you're all enjoying the read so far.

Arya tried not to inhale her dinner. She didn’t need to be more obvious about wanting to leave. She owed Rickon that much, even if her mother’s presence was stifling.

So she forced herself to take smaller bites of her sesame chicken, nodding and offering a smile as Sansa shared another story. Not for the first time, she was thankful for her sister’s ability to carry on a conversation. God only knew it was something neither she nor Jon had ever exceled at.

And then there was Rickon. Her baby brother who sat quietly in the armchair, seemingly following along with the chatter. But Arya saw the mask for what it was; she was all too familiar with it. His posture was stiff, limbs bent at awkward angles as if to appear in a state of comfort. There was also the occasional grimace that would cross his face. Her guess was some unseen bruise from the car accident had acted up. 

The car accident. It was the elephant in the room, and what an elephant it was. Nobody would even go near the topic. Arya studied her brother out of the corner of her eye, trying to see how the boy who quiety ate his noodles could be the same one who’d crashed a car. The small bandage on his forehead and faint scratches on his neck were the only indications that something had even happened. 

Now he was focused on his food, his full mouth barely allowing him to get an extra word in. Arya thought maybe he preferred it that way. 

Looking over at her mother and Sansa, she saw their heads bowed together in conversation. Slowly, she inched along the length of the couch until she was at the opposite end, near the chair where Rickon sat. If he’d noticed her movement, he said nothing. But his eyes were focused on some spot on the floor, and Arya knew he was lost in his own thoughts.

Purposely, she reached for the glass of water on the table, her arm extending directly into his line of sight. Rickon started slightly, taken aback, before looking up sheepishly.

Arya grinned. “So,” she said, “How’s Shaggydog doing?”

As she’d hoped, her brother’s face lit up, and suddenly he couldn’t move fast enough to take out his phone and lean over, flipping through picture after picture. Arya felt a pang as she saw Nymeria in some of the photos. How she missed her friend dearly. 

But then Rickon began speaking in low, quiet tones about Shaggydog and all of the others, and Arya found herself smiling fondly. This was the most he’d said the entire day. It struck her that he seemed only truly happy when he was off somewhere with Shaggy, on an adventure of their own without others who could ruin it.

Part of her mind registered the sudden silence from the other end of the couch, and she realized they’d all been waiting, and hoping, for a glimpse of their baby brother again.

So she rested her head on the cushioned arm, teasing him gently now and then, but mostly just listening to him talk. He’d moved onto the floor, kneeling on the carpet beside the sofa to better show her the pictures on his phone. His whole face was unguarded, his hands waving as he shared his story. Jon settled into the chair he’d vacated, and Sansa crept closer along the couch as well, her shoulder brushing against Arya’s. Even her mother seemed to be at peace. 

The flow of words from Rickon’s mouth eventually slowed, trailing off into a quiet murmur. But Sansa was there, as she always was, with a new story of her own, prepared to diminish the awkwardness even before it could fully settle in. Rickon’s face was slightly red, the color seeping up his neck and blending with his fiery hair. But his body was no longer tense, his shoulders drooping and relaxed, and Arya thought for the first time that day that he finally looked comfortable in his own skin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you for all the comments and for sticking with this! I know it's been a while (a very long while), but I hope some of you are still around :)

Gendry sat in his usual spot in The Hollow, legs stretched out before him as he balanced his laptop and a notebook. He was hunched over, his face close to the laptop as he checked his measurements against a sketch on the page. Headphones covered his ears, surrounding him with music.

When a hand moved into his line of sight to tap lightly on the book, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Pulling his headphones down, he looked up to see a familiar face grinning knowingly at him.

“Professor Lannister.” Gendry chuckled sheepishly and held out a hand. “It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise.” They shook hands, and Tyrion came to look over Gendry’s shoulder. “Someone’s being quite studious. You’re slightly off with that one, though.” His finger tapped one one side of the paper, where there were noticeably more eraser marks and faded lines.

“I know,” Gendry grumbled. “I’ve been staring at it for nearly an hour.”

“We both know that’s not long enough,” his professor answered.

Gendry smiled to himself. Then it occurred to him what time it was, and where he was sitting. Looking up again, he squinted against the glare of the sun streaming in through the window. “What brings you to The Hollow?”

“It seems,” his professor drawled, “we are to have a debate team. I volunteered to be the faculty advisor.”

“Oh." He blinked. "The others don’t stand a chance.” 

Tyrion flashed him a devious grin. He looked quite excited at the prospect, and Gendry couldn’t help but pity the students who had no idea what was coming. Then again, once the worst had passed, he thought those who remained might actually enjoy themselves.

“Seeing as you’re so dedicated to your schoolwork, I hope things are going well for you?” Tyrion asked.

Gendry raised an eyebrow. “As if you haven’t been keeping tabs.”

There was no denial, only a casual lift of one shoulder. “I’d still like to hear it from you.”

“I’m doing well,” he promised. His eyes shifted past Tyrion to where Arya was bounding down the stairs eagerly. “Really well, actually.”

Tyrion turned to follow his gaze before looking back at him, arching an eyebrow. “I see.” 

Gendry shrugged sheepishly. Arya had slowed her pace only marginally as she noticed Tyrion, immediately identifying him. But she couldn’t help the flush on her cheeks or the excited glint in her eyes.

“I’m guessing archery went well?” Gendry asked.

She nodded, bouncing on her toes, her eyes shifting from him to the other man. He chuckled. “Arya, this is Professor Tyrion Lannister. Professor, meet Arya Stark.” 

Tyrion, ever polite, held out a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Arya smiled widely at him, and Gendry knew she remembered everything he’d told her. 

“Did I hear something about archery?” Tyrion inquired.

“There’s a few of us that started up a club. We all take lessons once a week in the back. Set up targets and all that.”

“In that case, I’ll remember not to get on your bad side,” Tyrion replied, and Gendry chuckled. 

“Professor’s going to be the debate team advisor,” he grinned at Arya, whose eyebrows shot up.

“I would tell you to have fun,” she said, “but it seems like that’s a given since you’ve got the Tyrells waiting for you.”

Tyrion shot a knowing look at Gendry. “Even better,” he mused. “I shall leave you to it,” he nodded at them both before beginning to stroll far too cheerily towards the back room.

Arya plopped down. “I would love to be a fly on the wall in _that_ room,” she laughed. “But I'm sure I’ll hear the details soon enough.”

Gendry grinned and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I personally cannot wait.”

She settled against him, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. They were quiet for awhile, content to sit in their own bubble and just be together. It was one of his favorite times of day, and something he did his best not to take for granted. But the warmth, the inherent familiarity of her body next to his was rapidly becoming something he wanted in his life for a long time to come, and then some. It was moments like this when those thoughts overtook him; that small sliver of his heart that hoped a little harder than the rest of him. 

It was only Arya’s nudge, followed by a quiet, “hey,” that brought him out of it. Slightly dazed, he looked down at her quizzical face. 

“Where were you just now?” She was mostly amused, but still curious.

He shook his head and grinned. “Nowhere. Everywhere.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “You still worried about Tobho?”

He was, even though he tried not to be. “A little. He seems better lately. Calla’s stopped trying to spoonfeed him soup, at least.” 

Arya chuckled at that. “Good. I’m glad.”

“Same. How’s your dad doing?”

It had slowly become easier for him to bring up the subject, once he realized the only awkwardness stemmed from him. Once he got past it, he found that Arya - and by extension, Jon - had quite the wealth of information to share. He’d made it a point to ask more often after that.

Arya’s face brightened as she told him about her latest visit. When she trailed off, chewing her lip, he waited patiently. Finally she said, “He wants to see Rickon. So much. But I don’t know if Rickon wants to go.” 

“He hasn’t been, not even once?”

She shook her head. “He had so much trouble at school already, I think mum thought it might make it all worse. I don’t know if he wanted to go, but I doubt he had much of a choice. It’s not like we were there to help,” she added guiltily.

Gendry put his arm around her. “Well you’re here now, and so is he. Here’s your chance.”

Arya let out a heavy sigh, her face tucked against his shirt. “I’m nervous that he’ll say yes.”

“I know.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I can come with you guys, if you want. I’m sure Jon will be there, too.”

Her arms crept around his waist. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

He hugged her closer. “Always.”


End file.
